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Tuesday, September 11, 2012

The Coat Sew-Along Is ON!

We're doing this, readers. A sew-along for my Butterick coat pattern! It's Butterick 5824, and it's on sale for $4.99 until the end of the day today! So if you haven't ordered, hop to it like little bunnies.

Now, a few FAQ:

What's a sew-along?

A sew-along is an online group sewing project. Everyone sews the same pattern--in this case, Butterick 5824. I will lead the sew-along through a series of blog posts, photographing the major steps of the coat construction. But the most important part of a sew-along is the community involvement. To avoid Gertie having a nervous breakdown, everyone pitches in by answering each other's questions and commenting in the Flickr group.

What's a Flickr group?

It's a dedicated page on the Flickr website, where you can upload photos of your progress and participate in group discussions. Join Flickr here. Then join the Sew-Along Flickr group here.

THANK YOU! Gertie needs help, lots of it. Please email me at gretchen@blogforbettersewing.com if you're interested in becoming a volunteer moderator of the sew-along. This means answering questions here and on the Flickr group page, and commenting on member's muslins and fabric questions.

When do we start sewing?

The first sewing post will go up on Monday, October 1st. This gives everyone plenty of time to gather their patterns and supplies. A more detailed schedule will be posted shortly.

How much fabric do I need?

Please refer to the fabric and notions requirements on the pattern envelope back. You can find these online on the Butterick 5824 pattern page.

What kind of fabric should I buy?

I would suggest looking for a light to medium weight wool. Fabric weight is the biggest concern with this pattern--this thing eats yardage for breakfast. At certain places (like the collar), you will have three layers of the fabric on top of each other, plus interfacing. To test if your fabric is too heavy, stack up three layers of it in your hand and ask yourself if that's something you want to wear on your chest. You also need to consider the drape. The skirt on this coat is a full circle. Thicker fabrics will stand out dramatically, while thinner fabrics will drape and cling around the body more. It all depends on the effect you're going for. Drape the fabric around your waist so it's hanging down like a skirt to test the effect.

If you live in a warmer clime, look for trenchcoat fabrics like cotton twill. If you want to dress this baby up, look for a light to medium weight brocade.

If you have specific questions about fabric, please post them in the Flickr discussion group. I regret to say that if you send me an email, it will probably get lost. My inbox is currently like a black hole where emails go to die.

What can I do in the meantime before the sew-along officially starts?

Buy your pattern, fabric, notions, and supplies. I would also recommend making a muslin of the coat bodice and uploading it to the Flickr group. I'll write more about muslins soon!

I hope this helps answer some questions. Will you be joining the sew-along? I hope so!

I would love to join this sew-along! I'm kind of an advanced beginner leaning toward intermediate (have had lessons, but am out of practice, just getting back into sewing). Do you think I can handle this pattern?

Gertie, your patterns are just gorgeous, please could you tell me whether they will be available in the UK? We have been looking all over here and I just can't find your lovely coat pattern here ....*sob*

Awesome! I won't be sewing along (who wants to make a winter coat in summer?!) but when I do make it I'll be very, very grateful to have a sewalong to refer to.

Straight Talking Mama - I got mine from Sew Squirrel. It's an Australian site, but shipping from Aussie is much cheaper than from the US! I checked, and you can get it from there - shipped - for about 8 pounds. Better hurry though, because I know they only got in a VERY limited stock.

I can't join the sew-along this time (although I will make that coat this season!), but I did want to let you know that I have my copy of the book and love it! I was tickled to see the green shoes on the cover, and love the layout, illustrations, etc. It's really a combination of the styles of some of my favorite books -- for example, the attached envelope of patterns, like the Sublime Stitching series.

For anyone reading this, if you'd like to support the book, write a review at Amazon. It really does help authors -- when a buyer is not quite sure of purchasing a title, a good review can be an influence. Let's help Gretchen out!

Really looking forward to this I have my pattern just need to find some lovely material and then I'm ready, never made a coat before I dont really wear coats but this one is so different to whats out there, I'm sure that by following this sew along I will produce a coat to be proud of.

Fun times! I probably won't be joining in, I have a dress I'm planning to make that will take up all my sewing time and budget for the next month or so, but I'm looking forward to reading all about it! A warm-ish coat is on my sewing wishlist. Plus, I can't wait to see that gorgeous fabric you showed in the earlier post - that will quite the coat! :)

Okay this is definitely going to be a splurge for me, but I am in...I'll pick up my pattern and fabric this weekend. I read your advice on fabric weight and I am wondering if you have any suggestions for lining? If I get a wool blend for the fabric what would you suggest for lining, Gertie?